Overview

• Netflix released Inspector Zende on September 5, 2025, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh and directed by first-time feature director Chinmay Mandlekar.
• The film offers a fictionalised account of Mumbai officer Madhukar Zende’s pursuit of Charles Sobhraj, with the antagonist presented as Carl Bhojraj.
• It leans into a comic crime-thriller approach with retro Mumbai-Goa period detail, drawing on Zende’s memoirs and reported incidents for texture.
• Critics widely commend Bajpayee’s restrained lead performance and the production design, while several say the antagonist is underwritten.
• Early reception notes uneven pacing and a wavering comic-serious balance, as social media reactions trend with both strong praise and pushback.